[Closed] Adventures in the Maze

[Travesty]

Darcy looked around the abandoned, decrepit buildings and sighed. That damn pony. Not only had she attempted to sell him a “genuine gold” pocket-watch, but after he refused to buy the thing (it was obviously just made from scrap metal) she had pointed him in the wrong direction. Instead of getting himself more string for his viola it appeared he’d be wandering around here until kind death finally saw fit to take him.

The Villa got overdramatic when he was angry. And hungry.

As if it had a mind of its own his stomach growled and the sound seemed to reverberate off the whitewash buildings. It was so quiet here, rather unnerving actually. He wasn’t used to being alone – or silence, for that matter; day in and day out he was constantly being accosted by his whiney sisters or his disappointed parents. Next time he’d have to remember to bring his instrument, this would be a perfect place to practice.

He walked along the cobblestone road, his heavy tail dragging behind him, until he found a bench. Next to it grew a small patch of flowers and Darcy noted that they looked well tended; maybe these narrow streets and ugly shops weren’t as deserted as he had previously thought. Or maybe the lilies were just hallucinations brought on by acute starvation.

“Oh, quit it,” Darcy said sharply to himself. That was foolish and plus, if he really was starving he could always find his way back to the estate.

…On second thought, he’d rather die of hunger. There was also the fact he didn’t even know where he was now and possessed a pathetic sense of direction. Darcy sat with his tail flicking behind him in frustration; the boy did not enjoy being lost.

[Vyn]

As usual, Nico was missing.

Typically this was a commonplace thing but today the boy had really managed to escape his caretaker's close and careful eye. Jovan had looked away for a second to help a lady with a dropped bag and, when he turned back around, Nico had been gone.

Nico, meanwhile, had been following a pretty noise that had turned out to be a pretty butterfly which had met a not so great end at a very ominous sounding spider. Nico was distraught and had suddenly found him in a far quieter but considerably more drab-sounding area. It was... not fun. The little fawn looked around with four wide eyes, wings tucked close to his fragile body as he picked nimbly through the alley.

Why oh why did he keep wandering off?

"H-Hello? Jovan???"

Nothing but the sound of his own voice echoing back to him. He blinked a few times, skirting nervously through the alley until a very sudden burst of color caught his attention. It was not Jovan's color pattern, but it was a pretty card! Either Villa or Yarrow, if the sounds were right. Nico picked up his pace, really hoping it was a Villa from the overabundance of purple.

Bounding carefully around the corner, he found himself near a bench with a small bunch of flowers and, to his relief, a Villa canine. "Hi!" He called out, desperately hoping that they were friendly.

[Travesty]

His stomach growled like a lion cub, so loud a sound in all this silence. Darcy wished wholeheartedly he had brought along a cookie or something; maybe there was a place to buy food around here? His light blue eyes glanced around for any sign of activity but there were only empty, dilapidated apartments as far as he could see, with the sea of whitewash broken only by a few overgrown vacant lots. No chance of satisfying his hunger here.

“A snack, a snack, my lemon trees for a snack,” he mused out loud, feeling uncharacteristically foolish. Especially because if his lemon trees were here he could just eat them, bitter though the fruits were. These cold, ugly streets – each one identical to the last – were driving him insane.

Huh, was that a voice? Darcy shooed away his nonsensical thoughts and turned his head towards the approaching Card. Perhaps he or she would know the way back to civilization…

Wait, what in God’s name was that?! The Spade drew back, overcome with a mixture of disgust and awful curiosity. There was deer in him, to be sure, and maybe some bat – but why did he have two pairs of eyes? The peculiarity of it was as alluring as it was nauseating, a sensation increased when Darcy glanced at the rank on his chest. An Eight of Hearts? Impressive! – and higher than even his two insufferable sisters.

“Hello yourself,” he replied smoothly, sliding off the bench and sauntering over to the strange individual. “You surprised me; I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone here,” he said with a disdainful air directed at their surroundings. “I’m very relieved to have done so,” the mixed breed added, tilting his head back in laughter. The quiet had been sort of unnerving.

[Vyn]

Oh Nico was glad to have run into a friendly looking face! The pup had a weird, confusing looking thing on his tail but he looked friendly enough too. Nico's little tail wagged behind him and he edged closer, terribly trusting.

Jovan would have been scolding him to approaching random people in alleys, even if they did sound so good.

"I didn't either, though I'm pretty relieved myself. I don't like being lost, but it's better when you're not alone... Are you lost too? Or do you like this place?" Nico rambled slightly, nerves and the joy of being around another person getting to him. "I'm Nico, by the way, who're you?"



Jovan was all but having an anxiety attack. Nico was nowhere! How the hell did a four-eyed deer just go missing?! Who didn't notice him walking off?

The Jack could have died then and there, but he had to keep looking. He'd leave no stone uncovered until he had located Nico again! There was no way he could just leave and risk Nico injuring his fragile self...

[Travesty]

Darcy sat on the cleanest cobblestones he could find, wrapping his heavy tail around his feet. The Card in front of him was so strange, the mixed breed couldn’t help but attempt to guess at his origins. His coloring made him suspect Jossigy Marsh, but he wouldn’t be very surprised if there was something else mixed in there. Who were his parents, Darcy wondered; the thought caused a bemused expression to spread across his face.

He smiled, his tail flicking against the stone, making a strange hollow noise, and he nodded. “Lost, I’m afraid – this isn’t exactly my type of environment.” He chuckled, partly at the truth behind the statement but mostly because of his new friend’s obvious nerves. Darcy had never thought himself to be intimidating, what with his low rank and odd facial hair. First time for everything he supposed.

“Lovely to meet you, Nico.” That must be short for something. “I’m Darcy.” If he weren't a canine, he would’ve purred. “So, what brings you to this dreary place?” He asked breezily.

[Vyn]

The deer's ears twitched as Darcy's tail thumped on the stone, making a strange hollow noise that tails didn't often make. Huh? "I don't think it's anyone's type of environment, but people sometimes know these places anyway." He stopped himself from continuing to ramble when Darcy introduced himself.

He had a very grand name, and he spoke very well as well. "Darcy, that's a very nice name." It was sort of fancy to, like his full name. His full name was a mouthful, Nicodemus, and he didn't like bothering with it when he could avoid it. Nico was much easier to say, even if Mom insisted that it was a very noble name. "I was following a pretty sound, I think it was a butterfly... You are also a very nice sound, I like purple~ and o! Speaking of sounds, your tail made a hollow sound... Can I ask why?"


Jovan's tentacles writhed in agitation, causing people to give him a wide berth as he moved through the crowded streets in a flustered panic. Where could he have gone?!

And then he caught sight of a small alley that he'd managed to miss before. O! Quickly the canine mix darted into the alley. Hopefully this was a good lead and not just a dead end!